| APAGE will endeavour to make the Asian Pacific region excel
in education and research in all aspects of gastroenterology, achieving
this through fellowship, conventions and journalism, thereby bringing to
the region the highest quality of healthcare in this field of medicine.
Gastroenterology is considered to include the prevention and management
of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, biliary tract and pancreas,
as well as related aspects such as nutrition, infectious diseases and cancer.
The relevant sciences and technical disciplines include, amongst others,
physiology, molecular genetics and biochemistry, structure and development,
microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, imaging, endoscopy and surgery. |
| Specifically, APAGE will (i) make arrangements to hold an annual
scientific meeting, the Asian Pacific Digestive Week (APDW)*, (ii) encourage
and support co-operative research in the Asian Pacific region and beyond,
(iii)encourage and support clinicians ,scientists and students to visit
the region from outside and within, for teaching, lecture, study and research,
(iv) maintain active contact with all organizations in the Asian Pacific
region and beyond interested in gastroenterology, and (v) solicit and receive
donations and raise money by all lawful means for the purpose of furthering
the aims of the APAGE. |
| *From year 2001 this will replace
the quadrennial Asian Pacific Congress of Gastroenterology |
| The finances of the APAGE
shall consist of: |
| 1. |
Periodic Subscription |
|
Member societies shall pay an annual fee based on the number
of members of the individual society and the per capita due shall be determined
by the Governing Council from time to time. The Council shall have the power
to reduce the subscription of any member society. |
| 2. |
Income from APDW (see article 8) |
| 3. |
Other subscriptions solicited by the Governing Council or
member societies of the APAGE with the approval of the Governing Council. |
| 4. |
Funds as may be obtained through donations, gifts, bequests
, subsidies from individuals, other groups or governments, or throughappropriate
investments. |
| 5. |
Income derived from the appropriate investments
of the capital funds of APAGE according to the financial laws of the country
where the Headquarter and Treasury reside. |
| 1. |
APDW |
| ~ |
The APDW shall be held annually, and in collaboration with
member societies and other regional bodies including Asian Pacific Society
of Degestive Endoscopy (APSDE), Asian Pacific Association for the Study
of the Liver (APASL), International Society for Digestive Surgery (ISDS),
and other appropriate regional organisations as recommended by the APDW
Steering Committee and approved by the Council. |
| 2. |
Financial
arrangements for APDW will be negotiated among the host society APAGE and
other regional bodies. |
| 3. |
Other
Scientific Meetings |
| ~ |
In between congresses, member societies shall
be encouraged to make known to other members their scientific meetings,
preferably through the Journal and other media of the APAGE, to hold workshops
or seminars on subjects that have general interest to the Asian-Pacific
region, to raise funds to enable young investigators in the region to participate
in their meetings and to encourage their invited guest speakers to visit
and lecture to the other societies of the region during their visit. |
| |
| Members of the Council shall be elected
from the member countries and regions at the General Assembly Meeting, and
shall consist of the following: |
| President |
| Vice President |
| Incoming two APDW-President
(elected by the host society) |
| Secretary-General |
| Treasurer |
| Chairpersons of the programme Advisory,
Award, International Liaison, Ethics, Nominations, and Education & Research
Committees |
| Six Council Members, and
up to 6 co-opted Council Members |
| Representative editor of
the Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology |
| (JGH), as nominated by JGH and approved
by Council |
| 11 |
| As far as possible, Council membership shall have representation
from all member societies. |
| 11 |
| The Council may meet at any time, and a business meeting shall
be conducted at least one a year. |
| 11 |
| The Presidents shall be responsible for the proper functioning
of the APAGE, and is empowered to make the necessary decisions with the
knowledge and consent of the Council. They shall preside at all meetings
of the Council and at the General Assembly Meeting, and chair the APDW Steering
Committee. |
| 11 |
| The Vice-President shall assist the President in the conduct
of the business of the APAGE, and substitute for him when necessary. |
| 11 |
| The Secretary-General, together with the President,
shall prepare the agenda for the General Assembly Meeting, and shall submit
it to the member societies at least three months prior to the date of the
Meeting. He shall be responsible for the duties assigned to him by the President
and the Council. He shall examine the credentials of the member society
delegates prior to any General Assembly Meeting, and shall present these
credentials to the Council for acceptance and seating. |
| 11 |
| The Treasurer shall be entrusted with the funds of the APAGE,
their collection, safe keeping, and dispensing at the direction of the Council. |
| 11 |
| The Council shall have power to fill any vacancy in the Council
occurring before the next General Assembly Meeting. |
| 11 |
| The President will normally hold office for one two-year term,
bur at the recommendation of a two-third majority of the Councillors who
are present can stand for re-election for only one more term. The term of
office of all other members shall be two years and they can stand for re-election
up to a maximum of 4 consecutive terms (8 years). |
| 11 |
| The office of APDW president will end after holding the APDW
of the year. Vice-President shall not hold office for more than two consecutive
terms. |
| The Council shall be assisted
by Advisory Programme, Awards, APDW, Editorial, International Liaison, Nominations
and Research Committees. The Chairperson of each committee shall be responsible
for reporting its proceedings and recommendations to the Council. |
| 1. |
Programme Advisory Committee |
| 1 |
The Council shall appoint a panel of distinguished gastroenterologists
from as many national and regional societies as it thinks appropriate, and
elect a chairperson. This Committee will advise the APDW Committee on the
suitable topics and speakers. It will also provide and advise national scientific
meetings to be held in this region other than the APDW. |
| 2. |
Awards Committee |
| 1 |
The Awards Committee shall be responsible for considering
applications for financial support in regard to research, education and
travel (such as young investigator, young clincian, etc). Its membership
shall include a Chairperson, the President, the Secretary-General and the
Treasurer, with power to co-opt. |
| 3. |
APDW Steering Committee |
| 1 |
The membership of the APDW Steering Committee Shall include
the President (chairman), the Secretary-General, the Treasurer, the APDW
Presidents (next two), representatives from other regional bodies, and any
other members as approved by the Council. It shall be responsible for setting
the regulations and guidelines for bidding for the APDW, including the arrangements
with industry sponsons and overall financial arrangements for the meeting.
It shall monitor and ensure that these regulations and guidelines are adhered
to. |
| 4. |
The Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology |
| 1 |
This will be the official journal of the APAGE and the official
vehicle for publication of the abstracts of APDW. |
| 5. |
International Liaison Committee |
| 1 |
The International Liaison Committee shall liaise with institutions
and organizations outside the Asian Pacific region, particularly with respect
to scientific exchange activities and to promote a friendly relationship
between the APAGE and other international gastroenterologiacal societies.
The Chairperson shall have the power to co-opt the Committee members. |
| 6.
|
Nominations Committee |
| 1 |
The Nominations Committee shall consider nominations from
member societies for President. Treasurer, Chairpersons of the Advisory
Programme, Adwards, Editorial, International Liaison, Ethics, and Education
& Research Committee, and other members of the Council, as well as memorial
lecturer, and membership of the APAGE. Its membership shall consist of the
President, Vice President, Secretary-General, and four other members elected
by the Council, and it shall elect its own Chairperson. |
| 1 |
The committee should meet, the General Assembly at which election
will be held to consider the nominations made by member societies for the
office bearers of the |
| 1 |
Council with their individual consent, from which the Committee
should recommend agreed candidates for the offices. The Committee's nominations
should be submitted to and approved by the Council and then presented by
the Chairperson of the Committee to the General Assembly, where the final
selection shall be made for each office by the national or regional delegates
of the General Assembly Meeting, if necessary by secret ballot. |
| 7. |
Education & Research Committee |
| 1 |
The Education & Research Committee shall consist of a Chairperson
elected at the General Assembly Meeting, who is eligible for re-election,
and one representative nominated by each member society that wishes to participate.
The President, Vice-President, Secretary-General, and Treasurer of the APAGE
shall be ex-officio members. The Committee shall elect Sub-Committees to
supervise individual approved research projects, and have power to co-opt
additional members. Only finances of the APAGE specially obtained or specially
transferred from the APAGE funds for research purposes shall be used by
this Committee. The Committee shall prepare a report to be presented at
each APDW by its Chairperson for approval by the Council and the General
Assembly. It is recommended that material collected by this Committee should
be presented at one or more of the scientific session of the APDW. |
| 8. |
Committee of Past President |
| 1 |
Past President of the APAGE shall form a committee and elect
its own chairperson. The committee shall play a consultative and advisory
role for the APAGE, and assist in ceremonial matters of the APAGE. |
| This will be held annually
during the APDW. The following shall be included in the agenda of the Meeting. |
| 1.
|
To consider proposed amendments to the statutes and By-Laws
of the APAGE. Proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Secretary-General
not later than six months before the next General Assembly, and transmitted
by him to all members of the Council. Amendments to the By-Laws shall require
a majority vote at the General Assembly Meeting. |
| 2.
|
To receive from the Chairperson of the Nominations
Committee the nominations to the office of the next Council, and to select,
by secret ballot if necessary, the office bearers of the next Council. |
| 3. |
To discuss any other business pertinent to the functions
and activities of the APAGE. |
| 4.
|
a. To accept the credentials and seating of the
voting delegates of the national and regional societies. |
|
b. To approve the membership of new societies
|
| 5.
|
To receive the report of the President. |
| 6. |
To receive the report of the Secretary-General |
| 7.
|
To receive the report of the Treasurer |
| 8. |
To receive the report of the Committee |
| 9.
|
To select the national or regional society which
is to be the host of the next-in-line APDW. |
| 1 |
Consideration shall only be given to those member
societies which have submitted their applications six months prior to the
APDW, including the names of the officers who will be in charge of conducting
the APDW in the event of acceptance. In the event that a selected national
or regional society is unable to convene the APDW, the Council shall have
the power to withdraw the assignment and re assign the APDW. |